Defense

A Defence Ministry release said that Indian and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) contingents comprising 50 soldiers each will participate in the exercise with an aim to share experience gained during various counter-terrorism operations. MAITREE is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India since 2006. The scope of this exercise covers company-level joint training on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario.

The DAC approved the capital procurement for the India armed forces Services amounting to approximately Rs 2,000 crore. The decision to go for indigenous ammunition for the Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks is yet another push to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, The procurement of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed and industry manufactured Mechanical Mine Layer (Self Propelled) to improve automated minelaying capability with the Indian Army was also approved.

Indian Navy needs several fighter jets for its future aircraft carriers including named INS Vikrant, which is under advanced stages of construction. The LCA (Navy) is the naval version of indigenously developed Tejas fighter aircraft being developed for the Indian Air Force.

The Indian police officers have served the UN and the people of South Sudan for almost a year. Their duties included protecting displaced civilians, community policing and building local police skills. In a moment of pride, the 17 Indian men and women police officers were awarded the UN service medals during a special ceremony at the UN House in Juba.

The modernisation of Radar and Missile systems would enhance the air defence capability of the P-15 Ships. As per the agreement reached between New Delhi and Moscow, modernisation, major overhaul and refurbishment of sub systems would be undertaken in India. The manufacturing of critical hardware would also be undertaken in partnership with the Indian industry.

Highlighting salient features of the bulletproof standard, Gupta said tough quality norms are set to ensure jackets can be manufactured in various sizes to suite requirement of soldiers and provide 360-degree protection, including from AK-47 hard steel core bullets approaching at 700 metres per second. It has a provision for dynamic weight distribution system and design flexibility as well as uniform and detailed testing protocol to ensure everyone is able to adopt the same standard, he said.

In a major boost for infantry troops of the Army, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday successfully test fired Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) system from a firing range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. This is the third successful test firing of missile system which is being developed for Army’s need for third generation Anti-tank guided missile.

The Netra, an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft, had played a stellar role during the Balakot air strikes that had been carried out by the IAF in February this year. It provided surveillance and radar coverage to the five Mirage jets that bombed terror launch pads in Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

Four naval ships from both countries which are participating in the exercise began co-ordinated maritime operations in the ‘sea phase’ of the exercise. Prior to the sea phase, the Navies had engaged in professional interactions, training activities, cultural events and sporting exchanges, in a ‘harbour phase’, for three days at the Vizag port.

The exercise will be the first of its kind along the China border by the newly-raised 17 Mountain Strike Corps which has been preparing for it under the Eastern Command for the last five to six months now. The Indian Air Force will airlift the troops using its latest transport aircraft including the C-17, C-130J Super Hercules and the AN-32 to airlift the army troops from Baghdogra in West Bengal and deploy them close to the ‘war zone’ in Arunachal Pradesh, they said.